What we have learned from 60 years of big transnational surveys

Tue 22 May 2018

Cambridge Assessment - The Triangle Building

On the afternoon of 22 May we have the great pleasure of welcoming Professor William H. Schmidt from the USA. Bill is a leading thinker and mover on international comparisons, and his original thinking on the means of drawing lessons from the big international surveys – particularly TIMSS – has produced ground-breaking insights into the operation of education systems. Bill will give personal reflections on over two decades of working on method and enquiry, as well as reflecting on how learning from transnational surveys can, and should, take place.

William H. Schmidt is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University and director of the Center for the Study of Curriculum Policy. He serves as co-director of the Education Policy Center and holds faculty appointments in Statistics and Education. Previously he served as National Research Coordinator and Executive Director of the US National Center which oversaw participation of the United States in the IEA sponsored Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). He worked on PISA 2012 toward developing the definition of mathematics literacy, as well as the development of opportunity to learn measures.

He also has published in numerous journals including the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Education Researcher, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, American Affairs Journal, Journal of Educational Statistics, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Journal of Curriculum Studies, and the Journal of Educational Measurement. He has co-authored nine books including Why Schools Matter, Inequality for All, and Schooling Across the Globe: What We Have Learned From Sixty Years of Mathematics and Science International Assessments. His current research interests focus on the effects of curriculum on academic achievement. He is also concerned with educational policy related to mathematics, science and testing in general.

Dr. Schmidt received the 1998 Willard Jacobson Lectureship from The New York Academy of Sciences and is a member of the National Academy of Education. Dr. Schmidt was also selected as one of the first to receive the Thomas J. Alexander fellowship for work on PISA 2012. In 2009 he was elected in the first group of Fellows in the American Educational Research Association. He received his A.B. in mathematics from Concordia College in River Forrest, IL and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in psychometrics and applied statistics. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Concordia University in 1997.

About Cambridge Assessment Network seminars
Through inviting authoritative voices in education to share their expertise, our seminars aim to inform and stimulate debate on current issues in assessment. As well boosting your CPD, these free events are an opportunity to network and share insights with other professionals from the wider education community.

Cost: Free